1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a print system, a server, an information processing apparatus, a print control method, and a recording medium when a printer connected in a network is used by a plurality of client computers.
2. Description of the Related Art
In recent years, the spread of personal computers in offices is remarkable, and network technologies for connecting them have been developed. In the conventional method of using printers, one printer is connected to one personal computer and is so used. Recently, the number of cases is increasing in which a printer is connected over a network and the printer is shared and used among personal computers connected over the network.
For an environment in which a network printer is used, in many cases, a network OS, such as NetWare or Windows NT (trademark), is used, and the network printer is used by setting a print server, and there is a need to newly set up a server to share the printer. When there is a server, such as a mail server, if the functions of a print server are added thereto, the functions of a conventional printer are decreased. In order for a client computer to confirm the status of a transmitted print job, it is necessary to inquire, from the client computer, the print server or the printer of the information for the print job.
In a conventional print system in such a network environment, when a user performs a manual-feed-specified print, it cannot be determined from which client computer the manual-feed-specified print came, and it is not possible for the client computer to obtain information for manual feeding. It is also not possible for the application of the client computer to receive an event request for indicating the timing of manual feeding. Further, even when the application is not involved, it is not possible for the client machine to indicate the manual-feed timing to the user.
Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide a print system which is capable of notifying a specific user of detailed print information when the user performs a manual-feed specification in a network environment, a server, an information processing apparatus, a print control method, and a recording medium.
According to one aspect, the present invention which achieves this object provides a server apparatus connected to a plurality of information processing apparatuses and a print apparatus over a network, the server apparatus comprising: information acquisition means for acquiring information from the print apparatus; determination means for determining an information processing apparatus to which information from the print apparatus is notified from among the plurality of information processing apparatuses on the basis of information obtained by the information acquisition means; and notification means for notifying the information processing apparatus determined by the determination means of the information from the print apparatus.
Preferably, the information acquisition means acquires information for print data received by the print apparatus and the status information of the print apparatus.
Preferably, when information indicating the offline state of the print apparatus is obtained, the notification means notifies the information processing apparatus of the information from the print apparatus.
Preferably, the server apparatus further comprises: job information receiving means for receiving job information for a print job from the information processing apparatus; and sending enable instruction means for instructing the information processing apparatus that has transmitted the job information to send the print data to the print apparatus when it is determined whether print data can be sent from the information processing apparatus to the print apparatus and it is determined that sending is possible.
Preferably, the server apparatus further comprises job information storage means for storing the received job information.
Preferably, the server apparatus further comprises sequence control means for controlling a printing sequence on the basis of the job information.
Preferably, the server apparatus further comprises: deletion instruction means for instructing that the print data held by the information processing apparatus be deleted, wherein, when a job for which printing has been terminated is notified from the print apparatus, the deletion instruction means instructs the information processing apparatus to delete the print data.
Preferably, when a job for which printing has been terminated is notified from the print apparatus, the job information of the print data stored in the job information storage means is deleted.
According to another aspect, the present invention which achieves this object provides an information processing apparatus connected to a server apparatus and a print apparatus over a network, the information processing apparatus comprising: notification receiving means for receiving information for the print apparatus notified from the server apparatus; event receiving means for receiving an event request from an application; and event issuing means for issuing an event to the application which has made an event request for the notified information.
Preferably, the information processing apparatus further comprises: addition means for adding to print data a command for causing the print apparatus to be placed in an offline state when the information processing apparatus creates the print data to be printed on a recording medium which is manually fed; and transmission means for transmitting the print data to the print apparatus.
Preferably, the event receiving means can accept an event request of a manual-feed timing from the application, and the event issuing means issues an event which notifies the manual-feed timing to the application which has made the event request of the manual-feed timing when the information from the print apparatus is notified by the server apparatus.
Preferably, the information processing apparatus further comprises: job information transmission means for transmitting job information for a print job to the server apparatus; and print data storage means for storing the print data after the job information is transmitted to the server apparatus by the transmission means, wherein when sending enable information which indicates that print data can be sent to the print apparatus is received from the server apparatus, the print data stored in the print data storage means is transmitted to the print apparatus.
Preferably, the information processing apparatus further comprises: selection means for selecting one of a first mode and a second mode in which printing is performed, when the print data is transmitted to a print apparatus capable of selecting one of the first mode in which when the print data to which is added a command for causing the print apparatus to be placed in an offline state is received, the print apparatus is always placed in an offline status, and the second mode in which when the print data to which is added a command for causing the print apparatus to be placed an offline state is received, the print apparatus is placed in an offline state when there is no recording medium in the manual-feed tray, and the print apparatus is not placed in an offline status and records on the recording medium when there is a recording medium in the manual-feed tray; and mode addition means for adding to the print data a command for causing the print apparatus to perform printing in a mode selected by the selection means.
Preferably, when the server apparatus is notified of a job for which printing is terminated from the print apparatus and deletion of the print data stored in the print data storage means is instructed from the server apparatus, the print data is deleted.
According to a further aspect, the present invention which achieves this object provides a print system comprising a server apparatus, an information processing apparatus, and a print apparatus which are connected over a network, wherein the server apparatus comprises: information acquisition means for acquiring information from the print apparatus; determination means for determining an information processing apparatus to which information from the print apparatus is notified from among the plurality of information processing apparatuses on the basis of information obtained by the information acquisition means; and notification means for notifying information from the print apparatus to the information processing apparatus determined by the determination means, and the information processing apparatus comprises event issuing means for issuing an event to the application which has made an event request for the information notified by the notification means is made.
Preferably, the information acquisition means acquires information for print data received by the print apparatus and the status information of the print apparatus.
Preferably, when information of a manual-feed timing of the print apparatus is notified by the server apparatus, the event issuing means issues an event which notifies the manual-feed timing to the application which has made an event request of the manual-feed timing.
Preferably, the information processing apparatus further comprises: addition means for adding to print data a command for causing the print apparatus to be placed in an offline state when the information processing apparatus creates print data to be printed on a recording medium which is manually fed; and transmission means for transmitting the print data to the print apparatus.
Preferably, the information processing apparatus further comprises: job information transmission means for transmitting job information for print data to the server apparatus; print data storage means for storing the print data corresponding to the job information transmitted from the transmission means; and print data transmission means for transmitting the print data to the print apparatus, and the server apparatus further comprises: job information receiving means for receiving the job information; and job information storage means for storing the received job information.
Preferably, the print apparatus comprises a first mode in which when print data to which is added a command for causing the print apparatus to be placed in an offline state is received from the information processing apparatus, the print apparatus is always placed in an offline state. Alternatively, the print apparatus comprises a second mode in which when the print data to which is added a command for causing the print apparatus to be placed in an offline state is received from the information processing apparatus, the print apparatus is placed in an offline status when there is no recording medium in the manual-feed tray, and the print apparatus is not placed in an offline state and records on the recording medium when there is a recording medium in the manual-feed tray. Alternatively, the print apparatus comprises a first mode in which when the print data to which is added a command for causing the print apparatus to be placed in an offline state is received from the information processing apparatus, the print apparatus is always placed in an offline-state, and a second mode in which whet the print data to which is added a command for causing the print apparatus to be placed an offline state is received, the print apparatus is placed in an offline status when there is no recording medium in the manual-feed tray, and the print apparatus is not placed in an offline state and records on the recording medium when there is a recording medium in the manual-feed tray, and one of the first and second modes can be selected.
Preferably, when information indicating an offline state of the print apparatus is obtained, the server apparatus notifies the information processing apparatus determined by the determination means of information of a manual-feed timing from the print apparatus.
Preferably, the server apparatus further comprises sequence control means for controlling a printing sequence on the basis of the job information.
Preferably, the server apparatus further comprises sending enable instruction means for sending, to the information processing apparatus having the print data, sending enable information when instructs that the print data be sent to print apparatus, when it is determined whether print data can be sent from the information processing apparatus to the print apparatus and it is determined that sending is possible, and the information processing apparatus transmits the print data stored in the print data storage means to the print apparatus when the sending enable information is received from the server apparatus.
Preferably, the server apparatus further comprises: deletion means for deleting the job information of the print data stored in the job information storage means when a job for which printing has been terminated is notified from the print apparatus; and deletion instruction means for instructing that the print data stored by the information processing apparatus be deleted, and the information processing apparatus deletes the print data stored in the job information storage means when deletion of the print data is instructed from the server apparatus.
In the foregoing, means constructed in the print system, the server, and the information processing apparatus have been described. In the present invention, the information processing apparatus may share a part or the entirety of the above-described construction. In addition, the present invention includes a print system control method, a server control method, an information processing apparatus control method, which are achieved by steps similar to those of the above-described means, and a recording medium in which a program of similar steps are recorded.
According to the present invention, the server apparatus is able to reliably notify only the information processing apparatus which is desired to be notified of information from the print apparatus from among a plurality of information processing apparatuses on the basis of information obtained from the print apparatus. Further, if the information from the print apparatus is information for print data received by the print apparatus and the status information of the print apparatus, it is possible to accurately determine in detail the information processing apparatus in which notification is desired and the notification contents.
When the status of the print apparatus varies and information regarding reaching an offline state is obtained, since the server apparatus notifies information from the print apparatus, the information processing apparatus is able to be informed of the offline state.
When the server apparatus receives job information from the information processing apparatus, it is possible to accurately determine whether or not print data can be transmitted on the basis of the job information and the information from the print apparatus and to send the print data. It is also possible to control the printing sequence on the basis of the received job information.
When the received job information is stored and used together with the information from the print apparatus, it is possible to accurately manage the status of the accepted print job. When the job information stored within the server apparatus is deleted, which has become unnecessary after the printing has been terminated, it is possible to reliably confirm that printing has been performed. When the printing is terminated, it is possible to instruct the deletion of the print data stored within the information processing apparatus.
According to the present invention, the information processing apparatus is able to receive information notified from the server apparatus and to issue an event to the application which has made the event request.
The information processing apparatus is able to cause the print apparatus to be placed in an offline state before a manual-feed print is performed and to stop printing by adding to the print data a command for causing the print apparatus to be placed in an offline state and transmitting it when the print data to be printed by manual feeding is generated. In addition, the timing of manual feeding can be notified to the user.
With respect to a print apparatus capable of selecting a first mode in which when print data to which is added a command for causing the print apparatus to be placed in an offline state is received, an offline state is always reached and a second mode in which when print data to which is added a command for causing the print apparatus to be placed in an offline state is received, the offline state is reached when there is no recording medium in the manual-feed tray, and an offline state is not reached and recording is performed on the recording medium when there is a recording medium in the manual-feed tray, the information processing apparatus is able to add to the print data a command for selecting one of the modes for performing printing and to send the print data.
The information processing apparatus need only transmit job information to the server apparatus, and transmits the print data directly to the print apparatus, making it possible to reduce traffic on the network. The information processing apparatus is able to reliably perform printing by storing print data until the printing is terminated.
According to the present invention, the print system is able to reliably notify only the information processing apparatus which is desired to be notified of the information from the print apparatus from among a plurality of information processing apparatuses on the basis of the information obtained from the print apparatus.
Furthermore, with respect to a print apparatus which is always placed in an offline state regardless of the status of the print apparatus when print data to which is added a command for causing the print apparatus to be placed in an offline state is going to be printed, or a print apparatus which is placed in an offline state when there is no recording medium in the manual-feed tray and, and which is not placed in an offline state and which records on a recording medium when there is a recording medium in the manual-feed tray, if the print apparatus reaches an offline status, that status can be notified to the user. Furthermore, with respect to a print apparatus comprising a first mode in which when print data to which is added a command for causing the print apparatus to be placed in an offline state is received, the print apparatus is always placed in an offline state and a second mode in which when print data to which is added a command for causing the print apparatus to to be placed in an offline state is received, the print apparatus is placed in an offline state when there is no recording medium in the manual-feed tray and, and the print apparatus is not placed in an offline state and records on a recording medium when there is a recording medium in the manual-feed tray, it is possible to select the mode for performing printing according to the request from the user.
According to the print system of the present invention, it is only necessary to transmit job information to the server apparatus, and the print data is transmitted directly to the print apparatus, making it possible to reduce traffic on the network. It is possible to control the printing sequence on the basis of the job information received from the information processing apparatus by the server apparatus. Furthermore, by storing print data in the information processing apparatus and storing job information in the server apparatus, and using these together with information from the print apparatus, it is possible to accurately manage the status of the accepted print job. Furthermore, by storing the job information in the server apparatus and storing print data in the information processing apparatus until printing is terminated, it is possible to reliably perform printing.